Case studies and investigations

MVUEH — An Enigma Message Recovered

An interactive case study walking through a two-day investigation that recovered the machine settings for MVUEH, an 82-letter German Army Enigma message from July 10, 1941, with source comparisons, experiments and checks readers can reproduce. Published by an individual on a ChatGPT-hosted site; its claims have not been independently reviewed.

How to Get Your Business Mentioned in Claude (Searchable Report)

A research report based on roughly 95,000 search result records across 3,000 prompts in Claude, laying out seven patterns behind which sites AI assistants cite - useful if you want your business or personal site to surface in AI answers.

Why I recommend it: AI answers are becoming a discovery channel whether we like it or not. If you run a business or a personal site, this is a practical read on being findable there.

How AI Agents Reshape Knowledge Work: Autonomy, Efficiency, and Scope (working paper)

The underlying working paper by Jeremy Yang and co-authors, using Perplexity data to model tasks as discrete steps and compare fixed vs. marginal costs of chatbots versus autonomous agents.

Why I recommend it: If the HBS summary hooks you, go to the source. Skim the task-cost framework and use it to audit your own week: which tasks are high-step and repeatable? Those are the ones to hand to an agent first.

Squishmallows on TikTok

TikTok discover page showcasing the viral community and collector content around Squishmallows plush toys.

Gymshark Millennials

Article examining how Gymshark's marketing strategy successfully captured millennial and Gen Z fitness audiences.

Gymshark Net Worth

Article breaking down Gymshark's valuation and financial growth as a case study in brand scaling.

Labubu Effect Article

LinkedIn article analyzing how niche character storytelling turned Labubu into a global viral phenomenon.

Stanley Car Fire TikTok Video

The viral TikTok video of a Stanley cup surviving a car fire that sparked the brand's massive social moment.

Stanley $750M Revenue (Forbes)

Forbes' account of how a viral TikTok moment helped drive Stanley's cup sales and brand revenue growth.

Why I recommend it: A great real-world example of how one viral moment can transform a brand overnight.

Gymshark Story

Gymshark's own account of its founding story, from a teenage side hustle to a global apparel brand.

Why I recommend it: One of the best founder stories out there for anyone starting a business from nothing.

Stanley CEO Sends New Car (USA Today)

USA Today's coverage of Stanley's CEO replacing the car destroyed in the viral fire video as a goodwill gesture.

Stanley 1913

Official site of Stanley 1913, the drinkware brand behind the viral Stanley Quencher tumbler.

Build A Bear UGC Campaign

Press release on a Build-A-Bear marketing campaign built around user-generated content and customer stories.

Labubu Lifestyle Community

Fan-community guide to the Labubu collector lifestyle and the culture built around the toy line.

Gymshark

Official site of Gymshark, the fitness apparel brand built largely through social media and influencer marketing.

Labubu / Pop Mart

Official Pop Mart product page for Labubu, the collectible character line behind the 2025 viral toy craze.

Labubu Viral Marketing (Forbes)

Forbes article on the marketing lessons businesses can learn from Labubu's viral growth.

The Buy Guide

Site telling the origin story of the Stanley Quencher cup and the women-owned business that popularized it.